Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Alzheimer’s

2012-12-19

By: Libby Znaimer

Here some important news about how diet can help prevent cognitive decline. A study in the journal Neurology finds that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, plentiful in fish and nuts, is associated with lower blood levels of beta-amyloid protein.

Amyloid plaques and tangles in the brain are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease and are known to increase the risk for mental decline; blood levels of the protein may reflect levels of its deposits in the brain. Researchers studied 1,219 mentally healthy people over 65, recording their diet over one and a half years and testing their blood for beta-amyloid and for vitamins and other nutrients.

They found that the higher the omega-3 fatty acid levels were, the lower the beta-amyloid levels. The subjects got their omega-3 mainly from fish, poultry, margarine and nuts.